Blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis , reduce predation risk by eavesdropping on communication signals of Formica oreas thatching ants.

Autor:	Gooding CE; Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6., Pinard C; Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6., Gries R; Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6., Devireddy A; Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6., Gries G; Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Royal Society open science [R Soc Open Sci] 2024 Jan 03; Vol. 11 (1), pp. 231355. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jan 03 (Print Publication: 2024).
DOI:	10.1098/rsos.231355
Abstrakt:	Ticks spend most of their life inhabiting leaf litter and detritus where they are protected from sun but preyed upon by ants. Ants secrete chemical communication signals to coordinate group tasks such as nest defence. Ticks that avoid ant semiochemicals-as indicators of ant presence-would reduce predation risk by ants. We tested the hypotheses that: (i) chemical deposits from the thatching ant Formica oreas deter blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis , (ii) deterrent semiochemicals originate from the ants' poison and/or Dufour's gland(s), and (iii) tick-deterrent semiochemicals serve as alarm-recruitment pheromone components in F. oreas . In two-choice olfactometer bioassays, filter paper soiled with ant chemical deposits significantly deterred female and male ticks. Poison and Dufour's gland extracts deterred ticks in combination but not alone. Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analyses of gland extracts revealed formic acid as the major constituent in the poison gland and eight hydrocarbons as constituents in the Dufour's gland. Synthetic formic acid and hydrocarbons deterred ticks only when combined. F. oreas workers sprayed both formic acid and hydrocarbons when distressed. A synthetic blend of these compounds elicited alarm-recruitment responses by F. oreas in behavioural bioassays. All results combined indicate that ticks eavesdrop on the ants' communication system. Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests. (© 2024 The Authors.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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